Seòmar agus comataidhean

Information collected by National Records of Scotland is set out in the following table.

Deaths where Alcoholic Liver Disease [1] was the underlying cause, Scotland, 1999 to 2015

[1] Deaths classified under the International Classification of Diseases. 1999 figures based on the 9^th revision (ICD-9) using codes 571.0 to 571.3. 2000 figures onwards based on 10^th revision (ICD-10) using code K70.

[2] Deaths registered during the calendar year.

It is not possible to say how many people have ceased drug use completely since the publication of The Road to Recovery as this information is not held centrally. The Scottish Government is currently working closely with Information Services Division Scotland, national commissioned organisations, ADPs and services to develop a new data collection system (Drug and Alcohol Information System ) which will collect and report on drug and alcohol treatment and outcomes information, including abstinence.

Recovery for some individuals is not the same as abstinence. The Road to Recovery set out the importance of developing a system of care which ensured that individuals were offered a treatment and recovery package that best met their needs and aspirations.

Decisions on the type of Opioid Replacement Therapy (ORT), including methadone, to prescribe are for clinicians, in close discussion with their clients. The use of ORT is done in line with UK guidelines on the Clinical Management of Drug Misuse and Dependence. These guidelines state that for those individuals who are in receipt of longer-term prescriptions, that they should be reviewed at regular intervals (usually at least three-monthly), and should be part of a broader programme of care planned social and psychological support.

Scottish Government analysts have been working with NHS Health Scotland on a review of evidence on social isolation and loneliness. This will help identify the adequacy of data collection in this area and will feed into our strategic approach to social isolation, which will be developed over 2017. We plan to consult with stakeholders in early 2017.

We will be considering any funding implications as part of the development and delivery of our strategic approach to social isolation. No decisions on funding for the Social Isolation and Loneliness Fund have been made beyond 2016-17.

The new Scottish Government cancer strategy Beating Cancer: Ambition and Action was published in March 2016 and is a blueprint for the future of cancer services in Scotland, improving the prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment and aftercare of those affected by the disease.

£5 million investment has been allocated directly to NHS boards in 2016-17. This revenue is targeted to patient need, as determined at NHS board level, and is particularly focused on the breast, colorectal and urological cancer pathways. This will support immediate improvement in diagnostic, imaging and treatment capacity and ensure timely access that patients deserve.

The Scottish Government places great importance on veterans and their families. We established a state-of-the-art National Prosthetics Service, committed over £5 million from 2015 for world-class specialist mental health services and provided almost £4 million for veterans housing. We have appointed a Scottish Veterans Commissioner – the first such position in the UK.

I have published a fresh strategy, “Renewing Our Commitments” setting out priorities on healthcare, housing and jobs. Earlier this month I announced a partnership with Standard Life, bringing our Scottish Veterans Fund to total £600,000 over three years. We also want the private sector to treat veterans as an asset to bridge skills gaps; that is why I was delighted to launch the Supporting Veterans into Employment initiative with HRH The Duke of Rothesay at Dumfries House on 24 October 2016.

Sativex is currently licensed to treat patients with moderate to severe spasticity due to Multiple Sclerosis. In Scotland, the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) provides advice to NHS Scotland on the clinical and cost effectiveness of all new medicines. They do this following submissions made by the manufacturer. For Sativex, whilst the manufacturer does hold a product licence, they have not yet made a submission to the SMC to have Sativex considered for routine availability on the NHS in Scotland.

Following on from the Programme for Government, we committed in the Fairer Scotland Action Plan, to developing a new approach to social isolation over 2017. We intend that this will build on existing work, that it will draw on the findings of the previous Parliament’s Equal Opportunities Committee’s Inquiry into Social Isolation and Loneliness as well as the Befriending Networks Summit held in September 2016 and that it will be informed by the best available evidence and research. We will engage with partners and a wide range of interests in the development of our approach.

Our ‘Beating Cancer: Ambition and Action’ strategy and the accompanying £100 million investment over five years, serves as a blueprint for the future of cancer services in Scotland, improving the prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment and aftercare of people affected by all types of cancer.